The sound of familiar boots thumping across the wooden floor of the bar backroom was the first sign Charles had. The second was the scent of Pandora's signature perfume. Charles kept his eyes glued to the small glass mirror resting against the wall, eyes watched Danny laughing along with his friends.
"It's not long now, is it?" Pandora's voice broke the silence, a heaviness resting in her tone. Charles nodded, closing his eyes and letting the sound of the bar behind them fill his ears for a moment.
"Soon." He finally spoke, waving a hand in front of the mirror. The image flickered away, with every passing moment a the weight of what to come became heavier. He was never meant to get emotionally involved with others, never meant to step into the timeline and fix something that could be fix. However he did, and he had been dealt his consequences already, the observers were much less than pleased.
Then being given the task of watching the halfa, Charles should have known better. Should have know not to keeping interfering, to keep helping, and protecting. He did, and even know he doesn't regret a choice he made. Danny now being out of the timeline was strange, Charles was always able to see the different paths an individual could take, but not with the young Halfa.
He'd follow Danny's journey through the moments of those around him, watching for experiences when he'd appear. Finding fix time points that would affect him. Now, one of them approaches. Just a short time from now, one of the hardest things the young would have to over come.
"How bad?" Pandora spoke again once the time keeper turned to face her.
"Remember, have your phone one and ready for a while now." Charles reminded, watching the annoyance at his vagueness slip into her sharp features.
"Of course I remember, Charles." Pandora all but growled. Charles exhaled, settling back against the counter.
"You know I wish I could say more-"
"But if word got out about exactly how this would go down, his family will try to step in." Pandora cut him off, replaying words he's spoken before in the span of the year. "Which, if stopped, could have much more catastrophic consequences."
"I want to help as much as the rest of you." Pandora sighed, stepping towards him and resting a hand on his shoulder.
"I know, we all know." Pandora offered a sad smile. "There's only so much we can do."
A silence followed, Pandora's hand slipped off his shoulder and all Charles could do was offer her a small smile. There was only so much that the ghostly family can do to protect Danny, but you can never protect your love ones from everything.
"Anyways, we have work to do. Can't leaves our customers waiting." Pandora straightened up, ending the somber moment. As if an cue a loud crash sounded from the bar room.
"Ten buck's Skulker." Charles responded, standing to leave.
"I know you'll win, but something tells me it's Technus." Pandora smiled, leading to the way towards the door, and a scold settled ready at the tip of her tongue.
These days Charles knows he sounds like a broken record, reminding his make-shift family the importance of their role. Each one left in the dark, each one wanting more answers, but each one respecting the timeline rules. If you were to really dissect their feelings, no one really wanted to know. Many of them stopped their minds from creating worse case scenarios, instead focusing on their day to day, making sure they were ready for when they were called upon.
Charles had one plan in mind, and he intend to achieve it was best he could. He cycled through all the timelines, looking through every friend of Danny's, looking for all the glimpses he had of Danny's life. In every option, every possible outcome, there was only a few key factors that seemed to lead to Danny's happiness.
However, there were so many times where Danny would only be found in chaos, pain, and bloodshed until the end of the person's timeline he was following. Charles needed to be careful, he couldn't stray too far from his role, but the observers must have known what they were doing when they put Danny as his ward.
"Of course I've read those books inside out, I've started to memorize it." Dora answered, crossing her arms. In all the years that passed, Dora was the only ghost that took interest in medicine once she reentered the living world. "When you tell me it's gonna help him stay safe, I'm gonna do it."
"I know." Charles resigned, glancing around the mostly empty bar. Although many of the ghosts like to frequently there bar, many of them still have qualms with being in the living realm for so long. "I'm only checking my bases."
"I know clocky, but you need to relax." Dora spoke, taking a drink from her cup. " I know it's soon, but everyone here would rather live in the living forever than let Danny die on their watch. We've got it."
"Easier said then done." Charles shook his head, with each passing day the youngest side of him has been appearing less and less, leaving every with the impression of just how serious this was.
There was no telling if Danny could actually die, that part is unclear, and Charles wasn't willing to risk it.
"The scrolls?"
"Check." Dora polished off her drink, coming to a stand. "Listen, I'm not sure how close we are, but regardless we'll be ready. Relax old man, have a drink." Dora finished, turning to leave. Charles just watched her, settling back against the black booth. It was hard to relax when you're using to seeing all, and now there is a black spot in your vision.
Nonetheless, now was the time to keep his head on as straight as possible. No time to get senile just yet.
"We know, we've made a plan." Skulker grounded out, resting his glass on the wooden table. "The whelp isn't dying on my watch, unless I'm doing the killing."
"Shadow and I have gone through it." Johnny exhaled, motioning towards the dark shape against the wall.
"Besides, I've been working on my illusions. Best in the works." Desiree smirked, downing the rest of her glass. "We've got this old timer."
"I believe you do, but the time is -"
"Soon, we know." Johnny groaned, meeting the elder's eyes. "We got this, no one is dying on our watch."
"The demon who is running the show is-"
"Powerful, yes, you've said." Desiree nodded, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. "Trust that we care about the halfa as much as you."
"Yes." Charles sighed, resting his hand against the wood. The worry still gnawed at him, he knew they could do it, but there was a small margin of error.
"Relax old man, if anyone can do it, we can." Johnny grinned, his shadow swirled in the wall before resting behind him on the floor.
"I know," Charles offered a small smile, he needed to check all his bases. "Just be ready."
AN: I decided to break from the pattern once more, I didn't want to jump start into the first episode of supernatural because I'm assuming you guys have already seen it (possibly multiple times) and I feel like it'll be too similar to the start of the first episode of the woman in white hunt, so I'm skipping that part.
I hope you enjoyed the blast into Clockwork's thoughts as it gets closer, and I'm trying with Dora, I always hc her as being a soft, sweet person, but I wanted to tie in a little bratty, spoiled rich girl because I feel like it'll fit?
Other ghosts will be appearing soon with actual lines and important roles!
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter